Katy Waters is a strategic architect of equity-driven change, a powerhouse in political organization, and a trusted strategist. A queer femme from Texas, she has spent over a decade at the intersection of political strategy, organizational leadership, and racial justice, ensuring that institutions don’t just talk about equity; they embed it into their core. Her identity, lived experience, and commitment to continuous learning fuel her deep understanding of power, privilege, and systemic injustice, driving her mission to dismantle oppressive systems and reimagine structures that serve communities, not just institutions. She leads with integrity, urgency, and an unshakable commitment to ensuring every person, especially those pushed to the margins, has the power, resources, and agency to thrive.

As Vice President of Organizational Health and Strategy at Can’t Stop! Won’t Stop! Consulting and Education Fund, Katy combines strategic vision with operational execution. She oversees compliance, finance, HR, and business strategy, ensuring the organization’s infrastructure supports and amplifies its mission, vision, and theory of change. She also coaches senior leaders, challenging them to embrace accountability, center race equity, and set strategic goals that translate into lasting systemic transformation.

Katy’s career is defined by bold leadership, strategic foresight, and a commitment to sustainable change. With over a decade of experience, she has led and shaped progressive organizations at the highest levels. As Executive Director of Scale for Change, a Planned Parenthood Action Fund subsidiary, she secured $16 million for voter mobilization, built a diverse leadership team, and rebranded the organization to align with a more robust vision for progressive change while expanding its national reach. Previously, as PAC Director for Texas AFL-CIO’s Fair Shot Texas PAC, she developed the organization’s first-ever strategic plan, transforming it into a year-round political force for working people.

A first-generation college graduate with a Bachelor’s in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin, Katy blends lived experience with sharp strategic acumen, leveraging storytelling, data, and relentless truth-telling to challenge the status quo. Trained extensively in race equity leadership, including at Rockwood Leadership Institute’s Art of Leadership for Women in Racial Justice and Human Rights, her work is deeply personal. She understands that dismantling white supremacy is not just theoretical but an active and ongoing responsibility. She believes organizational growth, efficiency, and impact are only meaningful when rooted in a deep commitment to racial and social justice. Whether coaching senior leaders, strengthening organizational strategy, or designing multi-million-dollar voter engagement initiatives, Katy leads with vision, purpose, and an unapologetic commitment to collective liberation.

She resides in Austin, TX, with her spouse, Oli, and their dogs, Cricket and Ralph. When she is not organizing, she’s tending to her plants, working on her tattoo collection, or rewatching RuPaul’s Drag Race, always grounded in the belief that joy is a form of resistance (because building a movement takes energy, and joy is fuel for the fight).